The Case of the Russian Chessboard by Charlie Roxburgh

Author:Charlie Roxburgh
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: conan doyle, sherlock holmes, moriarty, mystery, murder, detective, baker street, 221b, arthur, hound, baskerville, fairies, cottingley, fiction, British, London, Robert Downey, Jude Law, Cumberbatch, Watson, Elementary, English, Detective, Thriller, Overdose, Opium, Drugs
ISBN: 9781780922171
Publisher: Andrews UK Limited 2011
Published: 2011-10-07T00:00:00+00:00

“We’ll gladly tell you that, once you tell us who hired you,” cut in Major Alexandrov.

“And the other question,” countered Holmes, “is what you want me to actually do, if I agree to work for you?”

“First, that you tell us who hired you, everything you have found out, and exactly what you have reported to your client,” said Colonel Volkhovsky. “Second, that on this case you henceforth work for us alone, though you pretend to continue working for your original client if we so decide.

“Third, that you and your assistant immediately accompany Major Alexandrov to St Petersburg for a secret briefing on the infiltration problem in the Okhrana.

“After that, we will plan the next steps together with you. And for this, we will pay you the very highest fees for your time.”

Holmes stared impassively ahead for a moment, sphinx-like. Major Alexandrov scrutinised Holmes’ face with his cold little blue eyes.

“If I do decide to help, I pledge to tell you within three days,” replied Holmes.

“Three days, Mr Holmes!” Major Alexandrov exclaimed. “We need your information immediately to halt these mad anarchists from slaughtering innocents. Who hired you and for what purpose? Have you considered that you may be working for a terrorist agent without realising it? We know these Russians in London much better than you. Surely you must straightaway tell us who?”

“Mr Holmes, Mr Pryde-Anderson led us to expect a rather more helpful response,” said Colonel Volkhovsky more calmly, “not least considering the help we are giving him.”

“To be absolutely frank,” replied Holmes, “I deserve time to think, because of the unfortunate reputation of the Okhrana here. We hear rumours how senior people in the Czar’s own government fear that you actually run the terrorist groups which you proudly announce you discover. That it is those government officials who get in your way who are particularly likely to get assassinated by these revolutionaries. That, when the Okhrana chief goes on holiday, all the St Petersburg nobles seek seats on his train because this is the one train southwards which they know definitely won’t get blown up. You’ve just told us that you were actually running a conspiracy at Liberty House. And you expect me to follow you without a second thought?”

I could not believe my eyes. At Holmes’ mention of the train, both Russians seemed to be hiding grins behind their hands.

Colonel Volkhovsky sighed and rolled his eyes theatrically. “Mr Holmes, our methods may sound rather racy to, well, the boys in the fourth form. But I had expected a more adult sentiment from a man with your reputation. The viewpoint, which you’ve just presented, is really so last year, old chap.

“So let me explain our approach. I shall be extraordinarily frank with you because I sense that, deep down, you have the intellect to appreciate policies which step outside common men’s ideas of good and evil. And we need to gain your wholehearted allegiance.

“Hunting terrorists is like finding needles in a haystack. Completely impossible. Unless you have a powerful magnet which draws those needles out of the haystack for you.

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